Thank you, Media/Hollywood
The Stars & Stripes reports that a poll commissioned by the veterans advocacy group The Mission Continues and the Hollywood production company Bad Robot finds that Americans consider veterans “a valuable civic asset” however, they also think we’re stupid and dangerous;
But 53 percent said they believe that the majority of veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from PTSD — most experts say about one-fifth may suffer from it — and 44 percent believe that those veterans are more likely to abuse drugs are alcohol than non-veterans. VA studies have shown slightly higher rates, but not a dramatic difference.
They also viewed younger veterans in general as hard workers but likely without a college-level education, even after they leave the military.
Gee, I wonder where they got that idea? Unless they read this story, or maybe this one, or this one perhaps. And they ignored this one, this one and this one.
Category: Veterans Issues
I might add that some veterans are also to blame for this stereotype.
How many of them are claiming PTSD status and blaming all of life’s ills on PTSD? When the extent of your deployment was waiting in line for Subway at some overseas FOB, or not even deploying at all, where is the logic in claiming PTSD and all kinds of other ills for your service?
No doubt there are real veterans that have experienced some traumatic moments, in particular those that were on the front lines in combat. But these are a small percentage of the entire military force in America.
But when every single person in the military claims PTSD, it not only dilutes the issue, but only further promotes this stereotype among civilians themselves.
Posers are also adding to the mix and perpetuating the stereotypes, as well.
Eh, we invest in the ‘us v. them’ mentality when we’re in uniform. Why bother correcting folks now? That’d be tantamount to say we are just like them.
And we aren’t.
‘Them’ never served a day. ‘Them’ do whatever they can to avoid accountability, responsibility, personally invest in this great Nation of ours. They believe we’re dangerous? Good. Maybe they should pay taxes and maybe I’ll give a damn.
This is the same crap like we saw in the 70s. Back then nearly every Vietnam veteran was portrayed on TV and in movies as insane. They were either psychos who couldn’t stop killing, or they were cutesy crazy. I hate that Hollywood is doing this to our vets again. Of course, it would help if people could learn to distinguish reality from fantasy.
I have news for you, people. This kind of crap from Hollywood — the stereotype — will never go away. Ever. Anything that Hollywood the Industry can latch onto and turn into a blockbuster will serve as fuel for another story. The things I’ve seen that are even vaguely close to reality were ‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Full Metal Jacket’, and ‘Band of Brothers’.
I won’t bring up “We Were Soldiers” because I can’t stand that drunken womanizing gloryhound Mel Gibson.
Hollywood the Industry doesn’t give a crap about real warfare, only about $$$$$$. And post-traumatic stress isn’t anything new, but H’wood likes to abuse the possibilities it presents for DRAMA.
Ya don’t say. I’m sure the fact that we’re less than 8% of the US population doesn’t help matters much.